"A comparison of the last Gallup poll conducted before each presidential election since 1952 to the first Gallup poll in the field entirely after the election shows that incumbent presidents have seen their net job approval (the percentage of people who approve minus the percentage that disapprove) jump by an average of six percentage points.

"Mr. Obama's net job approval improved by only two percentage points right after the election, according to Gallup. Fifty-two percent of adults approved of Mr. Obama's performance in Gallup's surveys both immediately before and after the election, but the share of adults who disapproved dropped from 44 percent before to 42 percent after (those numbers largely match an average of all polls since Election Day). ...

"In 13 of the past 16 presidential elections, the incumbent has seen his job approval ratings improve. Only three presidents, all Democrats, have seen their numbers deteriorate: Harry Truman, Lyndon B. Johnson and Jimmy Carter.

"The outcome of the election has made little difference. It seems that while everyone loves a winner, everyone loves a loser a bit more. The two largest post-election approval bounces belong to losing candidates: Gerald Ford in 1976 and George H. W. Bush in 1992. Mr. Bush, after failing to win a second term, saw his net job approval jump by 19 percentage points just after Election Day. ...

"The shift in Mr. Obama's net job approval is the second smallest -- positive or negative -- in 60 years, behind only Truman's one point decline in 1952."